Improvement in machines for washing ores and minerals



State of New York, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Machines for Washing Metallic and Mineral Substances;

` a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in whichthrough. the improved machine in a vertical plane. Fig. 2 is an end view of the barrel or cylinder, Fig.v 3 shows two sections of the spiral flange withbroken or open lapped joints.

sponding parts in the several figures.

or mineral substances generally, but it is more especially intended for separating sand and earthy matters from phosphate of lime when i found mixed therewith.

machine in which my improvements are embodied.

B, this shaft may be sustained by suspension bearings or brackets hung from above.

` wheel, applied on one end of its central shaft inder drum or barrel are inclined. This is im- U'lvrrnn S'rnrns RALPH It. OSGOOD, OF GREEN ISLAND, NEWYORK..

lNiPRQVEMENTlN MACHINES FOR WASHING GRES AND MINERALS.

Specification forming part of Iletters Patent No. 129,6??8, -dated July 23, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH R.10sGooD, of Green Island,` in the county of Albany and and I do hereby declare that the following is Figure l is a section taken diametrically Similar letters of reference indicate corre- This invention is designed for washin g metal The following is a description of a practical In the accompanying drawing, A represents a cylinder, which may be made of any desired The radial arms h con- Instead of supporting-bearings for the shaft The cylinder drum or barrel A may be rotated either by a belt-pulley or by a toothed B, and driven by any convenient prime motor.

It will be seen that the shaft B and its cylportant, in order to lift the material being washed from a lower to a higher level and to convey it successfully from one end to the other of the cylinder. The material is delivered into the cylinder A, at its lowest end, through ahopper or chute, D, on both sides of the central shaft B, and the hood or guard d arches over this shaft and is attached `to the hopper D, so

washed. The conveying spiral or spirals con-V sist of a number of sections, a, which are secured permanently to the inside of the cylinder so as to revolve with it. The sections are perforated, and their ends are lapped with spaces between them. This lapping of the Ysections forms jogs or falls for the material,

which have the effect of stirring it as it is moved through the cylinder. If desirable, the sections need not be perforated, as the water will flow between their open lapped ends, but not as freely as if these sections were perforated or grated.

Instead of working up the spiral or spirals of short open lapped sections, perforated or imperforated,the spiral or spirals may be continuous or unbroken from one end to the other of the cylinder. In this case thewspiral should be grated or perforated.

I am aware that sand and ore washers have been made before my invention wherein an imperforated spiral flange was applied to a revolving cylinder or barrel 5 but without the lperforations such a contrivance will not anspiral flanges working in them, are not new; I

also that it is not new to stud the inside surface of a revolving barrel with oblique fins arrangedat considerable distances apart; I do not, therefore, claim any of these old features as my invention.

I have an inclined revolving barrel, on the inside of which are spiral elevators, which, as this barrel is turned, elevates the material fromL a lower to a higher level at the same time that strong currents of water flowthrou gh it from a higher to a lower level. These opposing currents lstir the material and wash out of it the foreign matters-such as .sand and clay-and leave it in a free state to be delivered from the upper end of the cylinder or barrel into a suitable receptacle. By means of this elevating -washer a crushing-mill can be arranged directly over the hopper or chute D, and the upper end of the barrel arranged so as to deliver the crushed and washed material directly into the vessels which are to transport it to dii'erent parts of the world. This will save much time and labor, as the material only requires to be handled once.

For the purpose of preventing the escape of the material from the lower end of the barrel or cylinder A a wide annular flange, b, is applied at this point, which may be perforated, as shown; or it may be imperforated and all the water and foreign matters allowed to ow over its edge.

Having described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A machine for washing mineral or metallic substances, consistin g of a perforated spiral iiange, applied rigidly to an inclined revolving barrel or cylinder, substantially as described.

2. A machine for washing mineral or metallic substances, consisting of perforated or imperforated flanges or iins lapped with open joints, and arranged in a spiral manner upon the inner surface of an inclined revolving bar-.

rel or cylinder, substantially as described.

3. The perforated or imperforated annular flange at the terminus of the lower end of the inclined barrel, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

4. The arrangement, in combination with an inclined revolving barrel having one or more spiral flanges applied inside of and attached to it, of the feed-hopper or chute for the material to be washed at the lower end of said barrel, and the spout, for supplying water thereto, at the upper or highest end, so that the movements of the said material and the water through said barrel will antagonize each other, substantially as described.

Witness my name in the matter of my application for Letters Patent of the VUnited States for improvements in machines for washing metal and mineral substances.

RALPH R. OSGOOD.

Witnesses:

R. T. CAMPBELL, EDM. F. BROWN. 

